March 2016 Archives

By Patrick Dunn of Super Lawyers posted in Publisher's Note on Thursday, March 31, 2016.

It's been a busy month for us here at Super Lawyers and we wanted to recap the editorial subjects for the three magazines released: 2016 New York Metro - Top Women special section in The New York Times Newspaper, 2016 Colorado Super Lawyers Magazine and the 2016 Texas Super Lawyers Magazine - Rising Stars.

Did you know that 87 percent of legal consumers who choose to contact an attorney end up hiring one? In fact, 72 percent of those consumers considered or contacted only one attorney before making a hiring decision.*

At the end of the day, legal achievements offer you and your firm an excellent way to stand out in a crowd from others. In a world where consumers and referring attorneys have countless options to choose from, you need to make the strongest case for why you should be at the top of their list. Nowhere is this concept more present than at Stange Law Firm in St. Louis, Missouri.

By Patrick Dunn of Super Lawyers posted in Publisher's Note on Tuesday, March 1, 2016.

As February comes to a close we wanted to recap some of the editorial subjects for the three magazines released this past month: 2016 San Diego Super Lawyers Magazine, 2016 Indiana Super Lawyers Magazine and 2016 Georgia Super Lawyers Magazine.

Related Stories

It's been a busy month for us here at Super Lawyers and we wanted to recap the editorial subjects for the three magazines released: 2016 New York Metro - Top Women special section in The New York Times Newspaper, 2016 Colorado Super Lawyers Magazine and the 2016 Texas Super Lawyers Magazine - Rising Stars.

Be sure to check out our cover story on business litigator Robbie Kaplan and her storied history being an advocate for same-sex marriage. Kaplan is thrilled that her son will grow up in a world where same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. "The amount of 'pinch me' is hard to put into words. The opinion is everything we could have wanted and more-it's not narrow, it's not limited. It's truly amazing."

Kaplan also has extensive experience representing a diverse group of clients such as JP Morgan Chase, Fitch Ratings, Columbia University, the Minnesota Vikings and Airbnb in complex, high-profile matters. She has been active, for example, in matters involving stock analyst's recommendations, market timing in mutual funds, reinsurance transactions and structured finance transactions.

In this edition of Colorado Super Lawyers Magazine, there are several noteworthy topics involving our editorial subjects. From law school at the University of Wyoming to facing discrimination of his own to garnering a multi-million dollar settlement, Qusair Mohamedbhai has seen quite a bit. Next we featured intellectual property attorney Christopher Seidman who works to protect artists' rights in a digital age. And lastly we sat down with Craig Umbaugh who talked to us about his pivotal role in building stadiums in Denver and around the country.

Also don't miss our "Word for Word" section where we had some fun by posing the question "What's your favorite legal movie?" See one of the responses below.

The Verdict"It shows many human failings-greed, corruption, addiction, deception-yet depicts how justice is still somehow attainable against insurmountable odds. It also shows the rewards for making the correct moral decision and standing up for what is right. I think it is a good lesson to the public regarding how lawyers can stand to protect those who can't protect themselves. Paul Newman is also one of the best actors of all time."

In this issue we are honored to tell the stories of amazing attorneys who are making a difference. That includes business litigator Adam Milasincic, with Houston's Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing, who tells us about the many hats he has worn: reporter, campaign manager and even disc jockey. One title will remain for life: highest scorer of 2,464 test-takers on the 2011 Texas Bar exam. Then at KoonsFuller in Southlake, family law attorney Jessica Janicek has handled headline-grabbing cases such as the 2013 struggle by Marlise Muñoz's family to have a brain-dead, pregnant woman removed from life support. And Richard Cheng, co-head of the health care group at Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller in Dallas, tells how a willingness to take risks led him to a successful career in his complex practice area.

We hope you enjoyed this sneak preview of our latest Super Lawyers Magazines. Be sure to visit SuperLawyers.com/Digital to see all our digital editions.

Did you know that 87 percent of legal consumers who choose to contact an attorney end up hiring one? In fact, 72 percent of those consumers considered or contacted only one attorney before making a hiring decision.*

Getting referrals is one thing. But how easy do you make it for potential clients to contact your firm? Your online presence needs to ensure that contacting your firm is as seamless as possible, any time of day. Use these three strategies below to help create a robust online presence. Also be sure to download our Playbook Master the Art of Referrals, which will provide concrete tactics on how to develop and maintain relationships with referral sources.

KEEP AN UPDATED WEBSITE

People will be searching online for your firm, so make sure your website contains the most accurate, up-to-date information. Multiple pages of content highlighting practice area specialties, attorney biographies and ways you can help clients with legal needs will keep visitors on your site. To drive engagement and bring in a wider audience, provide video about your legal services. Video is important: It has been found that the average user spends 88 percent more time on a website that includes video.**

OPTIMIZE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

Post content from articles highlighting current legal trends on your firm's Facebook page while providing some insight from your own personal experiences. Twitter is a solid resource to learn about upcoming seminars, locate potential speaking engagements and discover new opportunities. Also, use LinkedIn to focus on engagement with other attorneys. Even something as simple as answering a question or sharing a helpful link with another attorney can plant the seeds of a new relationship.

MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION

Reputation management is yet another item in a long list of considerations you need to take into account when managing your online presence. If you want to be found and subsequently hired, you need to encourage people to talk about you. Oftentimes, the deciding factor for a potential client is online reviews. Ask your clients to leave reviews on sites like Facebook and Yelp about their positive experience working with you.

These strategies might seem obvious, but attorneys often don't take advantage of them as much as they should. To learn more about the simple steps you can take to gain more quality leads and drive future business, download our free playbook, Master the Art of Referrals.

Great news! Starting in May 2016, Super Lawyers Magazine will have an updated design and an expanded editorial lineup with greater variety and more visual content.

The new look will continue to reflect the Super Lawyers brand: It will be smart, professional and fun. Additionally, it will reinforce the value that Super Lawyers Magazine provides in serving as an attorney referral source nationwide.

Our goal for the magazine is to have a greatly expanded editorial lineup-taking it from 5-7 potential items to more than 20-which means more variety and greater perspectives. There will be shorter, quick-read articles in the front with a creative look and feel. We'll also have a greater variety of cover layouts.

To accomplish all of this, we would love to hear from you about what you would like to highlight in the magazine. Are you using legal technology (mobile apps, software, office management systems) that are valuable to you and your practice? Do you know an attorney who's providing excellent pro bono service?

We would love to hear about it.

In addition to pro-bono work and legal technology, we're looking to write about lawyers on our list who:

Have handled a landmark case

Have an interesting office with lots of fascinating items

Have a great "bar" story - one they tell other lawyers about being a lawyer, or about a favorite lawyer

Are willing to share their career-themed Instagram photos, Twitter posts and Facebook updates for a "Day in the Life" page

About Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Learn More »